Book Review: Nightbane by Alex Aster

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 Nightbane by Alex Aster

“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑔𝑜 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒… 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑤, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑡. ”
― Alex Aster, Nightbane

Series: Lightlark (2)

Published: November 7, 2023 by Harry N. Abrams

Genres: Fantasy// Romance// Fantasy Romance// New Adult// Young Adult// Fiction

This book was purchased with my own money. There was no expectation to assign it a specific rating. I maintain complete impartiality.

Summary from the publisher:

Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark’s seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.

Alex Aster’s intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla’s memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates

My Thoughts:

My anticipation for this book was sky-high. Having adored Lightlark, the first installment in this series, I was eager to witness the further adventures of Isla, Grim, and Oro. However, this book fell short of my expectations. 

What I liked: The ending of Lightlark has Isla off balance and unsure of herself once again. We see her struggle to understand her new power and get to know her people. Her growth through the book and then her determination to be a great leader keep me rooting for her. I love her will and tenacity. The ending was a surprise, and I did not see it coming.

What I didn't like: I struggled to stay engaged. I almost DNF. Much of it had to do with the time jumps back and forth and, if I am honest, Oro. I am not a fan of Oro at all. He feels flat to me. The "before" chapters were the only ones that held my interest, and it's the only time we see Grim besides the end. I felt no connection with the new characters that were introduced, they felt rushed and really served little purpose. 

 While I may not be enthusiastic about revisiting Nightbane, I am still intrigued enough to consider reading the third book. My main motivation would be to see if Isla and Grim are endgame. I will probably reread Lightlark and then go straight to Book 3 once it is released.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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